“When things look more uniform...those are concerning signs in terms of a possible medical condition,” Dr. Lal says. Other ...

There are a few main types of leukonychia, including: Apparent leukonychia: These white spots appear on the nail bed (under the nail) and disappear when pressure is placed on the nail, Dr. Camp says.

Imagine the possibilities: A single, bold purple streak ran down the middle of a pristine white nail bed, like a shooting star across a clear night sky. Multiple thin, wavy purple streaks scattered ...

When it comes to punctate leukonychia, Dr. Stern explains that this type of white spot is caused by trauma—which could be from pressing too hard on the nail bed or getting a forceful manicure.

I certainly did, and the chalkiness of opaque white nails has haunted me ever since. I now rarely venture into ivory nails, but considering just how far we've come in terms of nail designs (there ...